Tearing guide for ration book stamps



Dec.21,1943. HgQNOEl. V 2,337,405

TEARING GUIDE FOR 'RATION BOOK STAMPS Filed April 10, 1943 ATTORNEYSPatented Dec. 21, 1943 UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE TEARING GUIDE FORRATION BOOK STAMPS Henry D. Noel, New York, N. Y. Application April 10,1943, Serial No. 482,653

' 4 Claims. (ci. 28s-12) This Ainvention relates to tearing guides foruse in the tearing of stamps or coupons from books. f

The primary object of the invention resides in a tearing guide for usein facilitating the neat and easy tearing of stamps or coupons fromration books.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a tearing guide which `iscaptively carried by the book for ready sliding to alined position withthe stamp to be torn away for use.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a tearing guidewhich is formed from a single piece of fiat rigid material such asCelluloid, plastic, fibre, or the like; which is inexpensive ofmanufacture; and which may contain an advertisement and the guide to begiven away by the advertiser. y

Other novel features of the invention will become apparent as thefollowing specification is read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tearing guide per se.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of a ration book in open position with thetearing guide overlying one of the inside pages for use.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, thedotted lines indicating the guide swung over the opposite page for usethereon.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral Illdesignates my tearing guide device in its entirety which is constructedof a single piece of relatively thin flat stiff material such as,Celluloid, fibre, plastic or the like. For reasons to be hereinafterexplained, I prefer to make the device I of a transparent Celluloid orplastic substance, but the same may be made of a non-transparentsubstance if desired.

The tearing device IIJ includes a leaf-like body II having a straightvertical side edge I2. Adjacent the side edge I2, the body I I isprovided with a vertical elongated rectangular shaped slot I3, the samebeing of a length equal to or slightly greater than the height of thebook to which the tearing guard device is to be operatively connected.Thus the maximum height of the body I I is slightly greater than theheight of the book to which it is to be connected. The side edge of thebody II opposite to the edge I2 is provided with a series of upwardlyreceding step portions I4, three of which are shown in the drawing,although more or less may be provided, depending upon the number ofhorizontal rows of stamps or coupons arranged within 'the pages of thebook. Each step portion I4 com,- prises a straight horizontal tearingguide edge I5, equal in length to the width of the stamp or coupon to betorn away, and a straight Vertical tearing guide edge I6 of a lengthequal to the height of the stamp or coupon to be torn away. The tearingguide edges I5 and I6 of each step portion are disposed at right anglesto each other and cooperate to provide a continuous angular tearingguide edge for any one stamp or coupon of a horizontal rowy bound in abook. Extending at right angle to the lowermost horizontal tearing guideedge I5 is a Avertical tearing guide edge Ilia., which functionstofacilitate the tearing away of the stamps or cou` pons of the bottomhorizontal row.

In order that the stepped tearing guide portions of the body II will liewithin the confines of the pages of a book, the lower edge of Ythe sameis stepped inwardly as at I'I.

In Figures 2 and 3 of the drawingI have illustrated the tearing guidedevice I0 as being applied for use upon a Government food ration book I8which includes flexible front and back covers I9-I9 within which pages20 are bound. The pages 20 are provided with vertical and horizontallines of tear 2l and 22 respectively which may or may not be perforatedand which in this instance divides each page into four horizontal andsix vertical rows of stamps or coupons 23, suitably printed with indiciaindicating their point value and an identifying symbol for period ofuse.

In use, the tearing guide device Iii is operatively associated with theration book I8, by first opening the book to the page containing thestamps or coupons for current use. One end of the open book is threadedthrough the slot I3 with the stepped tearing guide edge overlying theopen pages of the book as best illustrated in Figure 2. Normally, thedevice I0 is slid to a position so that the slot I2 is in alinement withthe hinge connection 24 between the pages 2U and covers I Si-I 9 toenable the closing of the book with the stepped tearing guide portionsandwiched between adjacent pages. Due to the fact that the ends of theslot I2 terminates adjacent the top and bottom edges of the body II, thenarrow width of the material therebetween is capable of iiexing toenable the at positioning of the body II over the pages of the book.However, when the book I8 is opened, the device I Il is free to be swungto a position over either the right or left page and subsequently slidto a position in alinement with the boundary edges of the selected stampor stamps 23 to be torn free. For instance, if stamp H8 is to be tornfree, the device I0 is slid over to a position to cause the tearingguide tearing edges I5 and I6 to aline 5 with the tear lines.2I and 22which form right angle side boundaries of said stamp, whereas the freecorner of the stamp is grasped and torn by pulling the same against. theguidetearing. edges I5 and IS. Should it.' be desired toA tear away; l0any of the 1 volume stamps, the edge I Ba, is brought into alinementwith the tear line forming one side boundary of said stamp. Other stampsalong intermediate rowsmay berer-noved` f by operations similar to thatdescribed for the` I5'= ofV a multiple coupon page book, the other sidetearing away of stamp H3. Assuming that,V stamps on the opposite pageare to be torn free, f the device I0 may be -swung to apositon thereoveras shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.. The transparency of the device I0permits the viewit() ing of underlying: stamps and' enables thel morerapid positioning of thedevice; with the.- selectedstamps;toebeftorn-away;1 y

the: use.y of thel tearing: guide. device |20; upon ration books, it:`is:` possiblefor a: purchaser to g5 expedite the removal of the; stampsin. ther presence Yof the storef. clerk, and venables: theV stamp to betorn; evenly.. Furthermore*1 it prevents, ac-

cidentalll mutilation of the: stamps. and imparts a neat, appearanceatpthe partially' usedz pagesl ofthe 30 book.; Also; the: device Ilii actsas. a marker to ena'biathei holderrofv the. book to; quickly turn thepages: bearing current.: use stamps..

The tearing-guidedevice- IgII is relatively simple and inexpensiveo'rnaufactureVA and may beI used 35 by the.` manufacturers.y ofg food.products in goodwill advertisingz by placing' an advertisement uponeither` or bothsides othe body' Ill'.

While I"l haveshown andi-described whatI'consi'der to be the preferredembodiment of my in- 40 vention, I wish` it' to, be understoodi thatsuch changes inconstruction, design, and material mayY be resorted toif; desiredl without departing from the'spirit ot the' invention assetforth in the appendedE claims. 45

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A tearing guide comprising a relatively thin flat stiff body having avertical elongatedslot adjacent one of its side edges to threadedlyreceive the open pages of a coupon book, the other side edge of the bodyhaving a series of stepped tearing; edges. adapted, to be brought intoselective, alin'ement with two. sides ofthe boundaries of the coupons tobe torn from the pages.

2. A tearing guide comprising a leaf-like body of lthin stii transparentmaterial having a straight vertical slot adjacent one of its side edgesfor threadedly receiving the open pages edge of the body having a seriesof upwardly receding rig-ht angle step tear guide edges adapted to bebrought into selective registration with the two sides of the tearboundaries of the coupons.I to be torn reef from the-pages.

3; In combination, a book having bound 'pages of vertical and horizontalcrossing rows of tea-r away stamps, aY tearing guide. device comprisinga leaihke;body.l off stii material having a vertical elongated'V slot;saldi book havingpages threaded through said slot whereby the guide isslidably and; hingedlyconnected to said book with a .portion disposedtherein. between adjacent pages, that portion disposed' within` thehookhaving a stepped tearing edgev for selectiveali-nement with thestamps. tobe'- torn from! the pages when the book' is: opened thereto-4. In combination, a book having bound pages ot` vertical andIhorizontal' crossing rows ofvv tear away stamps, a tearing guide devicecomprising a leaf-likebody of' stii material', means on said body forslidably mounting the same upon; the book to lie' betweenl adjacentpages thereof', and upwardly" receding stepped tearing edges provided onsaid' bodyy for'selectiven registration with two ofV the boundaries of atear away stamp, to guid'ethe tearing away thereof from the bound pages.

HENRY' D; NOEL.

